TIA, RMA Weigh in on NHTSA Fuel Efficiency Plan

TIA still feels it would be the best option to conduct consumer-level tyre fuel efficiency education, while RMA challenges that NHTSA’s proposed fuel efficiency rating system is inadequate.

Those were the themes behind both groups’ comment filings late last week, just before NHTSA’s August 21 deadline for comments on its mandated tyre fuel efficiency rating system.

TIA still feels it would be the best option to conduct consumer-level tyre fuel efficiency education, while RMA challenges that NHTSA’s proposed fuel efficiency rating system is inadequate.

Those were the themes behind both groups’ comment filings late last week, just before NHTSA’s August 21 deadline for comments on its mandated tyre fuel efficiency rating system.

In June, NHTSA issued its proposal to create a tyre fuel efficiency testing and rating system, based on an RMA-drafted amendment to the Energy Bill of 2007. NHTSA’s 148-page proposal called for new testing and rating system that would replace the UTQG system by keeping traction and treadwear ratings and adding a 0-100 point fuel efficiency rating system that would allow consumers to directly compare tyres.

NHTSA’s scheme also mandates tyre retailers display NHTSA-prepared educational posters and have retailers and tyremakers with Web sites to provide direct links to NHTSA’s own www.safecar.gov where it will post tyre fuel efficiency and tyre maintenance information.

TIA still maintains that “as one of the world’s leading authorities on tyres and wheels,” it is in the best position to “run this program.”

TIA said that a “point-of-sale poster to educate consumers about tyre fuel efficiency ratings”… “should be a component, but not the core feature of the campaign.” The proposal, it said, made no mention of “dialogue between the salesperson and the consumer as a viable means of education.”

TIA said is can “bridge this ‘communication gap’ by embarking on a comprehensive course of training to tyre sellers, in addition to a massive public outreach campaign in order to keep tyre maintenance in consumers’ minds.”

RMA, on the other hand, focused its attention on NHTSA’s proposed grading system .

“Since consumers shopping for replacement tyres are limited in their tyre selections by requirements of their existing vehicle, it is important to design a rating system that maximises the tyre efficiency choices across the rating scale for each consumer,” RMA said. “The appeal of a rating system will depend on whether a consumer has ‘good’ choices appropriate for his vehicle across the rating scale.”

RMA said that NHTSA’s proposed rating system “would not provide consumers with useful information about fuel efficiency of replacement tyres suitable for their vehicles. Under the NHTSA proposal, a typical consumer shopping for a replacement tyre for a specific vehicle would have a choice only along approximately a 20 to 30 point spread on the 100-point scale.

“The proposed rating scale gives consumers an illusory view of the tyre efficiency choices available to them for their vehicle and does not assist consumers in purchasing fuel efficient tyres for their vehicle,” RMA said. “On the other hand, this rating approach encourages consumers to purchase smaller tyres and could promote the purchase of tyres with inadequate load-carrying capacity to safely carry the load of the vehicle. Although many tyre dealers would discourage and in many cases would not sell a tyre with a rated load capacity insufficient for the vehicle, NHTSA should not promote a system that could lead to this type of safety concern.”

RMA said it supports a five category rating system “that maximises the tyre efficiency choices across the rating scale for available to each consumer,” and that would also include tyres for larger vehicles (pickups and SUVs), which NHTSA’s plan did not account for.

RMA also challenges NHTSA’s education element, saying that retailers “have the rating information available to consumers in the dealer showroom or waiting area,” but that this information come from “tyre manufacturer brochures, tyre manufacturer product catalogues, in-store online access to the NHTSA Web site, tyre manufacturer Web sites or the tyre retailer’s Web site containing the rating information.” (Tire Review/Akron)